FWC Division of Law Enforcement Weekly Report August 21, 2015 thru August 27, 2015

(Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.) FWC Division of Law Enforcement   Weekly Report August 21, 2015 thru August 27, 2015 This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Patrol, Protect, Preserve NORTHWEST REGION FRANKLIN COUNTY Officer Mynard received a call from dispatch regarding an impaired individual on a shrimping vessel in the Carrabelle River. Officer Mynard and P. Cook located the vessel aground on a sandbar at the mouth of the river. The vessel was not on anchor and as they boarded the vessel, it floated off the sand bar and started to drift with the current. Officers Mynard and Cook conducted field sobriety tasks of the individual onboard and found him to be impaired. The subject was transported to the Franklin County Jail where he provided breath samples of .160 and .170. Officer Mynard charged the individual with BUI and resisting without violence. OKALOOSA COUNTY Officer Pifer was on vessel patrol conducting boating safety and state fisheries inspections in the Santa Rosa Sound in Fort Walton Beach.  That night, Officer Pifer observed a westbound vessel traveling with no bow navigational lights displayed.   Officer Pifer initiative a vessel stop and identified the vessel’s operator.  While conducting a boating safety inspection, Officer Pifer immediately detected a strong odor of alcoholic beverage emitting from the operator’s breath. Based on Officer Pifer’s observations of the operator, he requested the individual to perform field sobriety tasks. The operator was placed under arrest for BUI. The subject refused a breath test.  The operator was cited for operating a vessel with no navigational lights and refusal to provide a breath sample. Officer Pifer was conducting boating safety and state fisheries inspections near the Marler’s Bridge and the Destin Pass.  Officer Pifer stopped a vessel at Crab Island and while conducting a boating safety inspection, he observed signs that the vessel was returning from a fishing trip.  During the fisheries inspection, Officer Pifer observed an undersized red snapper.  The red snapper measured 12.5 inches in total length. Red snapper season is closed.  The vessel operator was cited for possession of red snapper out of season and issued a warning for undersized red snapper. Later, Officer Pifer observed an individual snorkeling in the Destin Pass around the Destin Westjetties without a divers down flag.  As Officer Pifer approached the snorkeler, the individual dove down below the surface of the water and then resurfaced a few moments later. Officer Pifer observed a spear gun laying on the sea floor just below the individual.  The individual was issued a citation for spearfishing near a jetty and a warning for no diver’s down flag.  Officers Pifer and Corbin were conducting state fisheries inspections in the Destin Pass when they stopped a vessel returning from the Gulf of Mexico.  The fisheries inspection revealed three large red snapper on board.  The vessel’s operator acknowledged he knew the season was closed for red snapper.  The vessel operator was issued a citation for possession of red snapper during closed season. Officers Rockwell, Maltais, Pifer, Molnar and Corbin conducted vessel patrol in Choctawhatchee Bay, Santa Rosa Sound and bayous during the Annual Poker Run.  This is a big fund raising event.  There were over 150 vessels registered and participated in the event.  The majority of the vessels are high performance boats.  Due to the large volume of additional vessel traffic, the officers patrolled extended hours for public safety.  The officers’ efforts resulted in no reportable boating accidents, 170 boating safety vessel stops, 545 user contacts, 19 uniform boating citations and 18 written warnings issued, and 1 physical arrest. SANTA ROSA COUNTY Officers Pineda and Clark worked the Navarre Fishing Pier in response to several complaints of people keeping undersized Spanish mackerel.  The officers set up and conducted surveillance of the pier.  When the subjects in question left the pier, the officers conducted a fisheries inspection of their catch. Officers found one person to be in violation and possessed four undersized Spanish mackerel.  The subject stated that he knew the rules and must have been in a hurry when measuring the fish.  The subject was issued a notice to appear for possession of undersized Spanish mackerel and the illegal fish were seized. Officers Land and Cushing were patrolling offshore on the FINCAT (patrol vessel) over the weekend.  During one of the vessel inspections, Officer Land discovered five red snapper. The owner/operator of the vessel claimed they were blackfin snapper. Officer Land explained the difference between the two and issued him a state citation for possession of red snapper during closed season. COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICINING OKALOOSA COUNTY Officer Rockwell attended the Emerald Coast Poker Run Captains meeting in Destin.  Officer Rockwell answered questions concerning boating safety issues and local knowledge of the waterways.

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